A Wildcat Goodbye
by Kathryn Claire O'Connor
Summary: Post HSM3 with mild spoilers for the movies. No one expects to die as a teenager, but when one of the Wildcats does, it causes the friends that he left behind to reflect on him and the closest thing to a goodbye from him that they have - his entries in their yearbooks. Troyella, Ryelsi, Zekepay, Jartha.
1. Prologue

After graduation, we all felt like the world was at our feet, just ready and waiting for us to make our mark, and that was a challenge that we were all more than willing to meet head on. As we all went our separate ways - a group of us staying in Albuquerque and attending U of A while the rest of us spread in pairs across the nation - we were all so sure that, given a few years, we could make names for ourselves. One way or another, eventually, we were sure that we would make ourselves famous. In some way, maybe even immortal.

How were we to know that one of us wouldn't even live to the end of the year?

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**Why do I tend towards depressing stories for this category?! I write fluff for almost every other category I dunno, I guess that it's just worked out this way. Anyway, this is going to be a story composed of drabbles - probably thirteen chapters long - and centered around the death of an important Wildcat. Please review and make my day! No need to be stingy with reviews! Thanks!:)**


	2. Gabriella

Gabriella Montez curled up on the back seat of her mother's car. "Miserable" didn't even begin to explain what she was currently feeling.

Her mother spoke softly, saying, "You forgot this on the table back in your dorm." Mrs. Montez leaned down to look at her heartbroken daughter as she placed Gabriella's senior year yearbook on the seat beside Gabriella.

Gabriella gave no indication that she had heard her mother, so Mrs. Montez tried again, asking gently, "Gabi?"

Gabriella didn't meet her eyes, didn't even bother to blink. She was grateful that her mother had drove all the way to California to pick her up and take her back to New Mexico - she knew that she couldn't have driven herself - but she simply didn't know if she could handle human communication right now. She just wanted to shut down. What she did not want to do was face what was happening. She could not be on her way to his funeral. He had too much like left in him. They had too much of a life left together.

Gabriella bit her lip to keep from bursting into tears again as her mother gave up and shut the car door, essentially leaving Gabriella alone with her thoughts. A minute later, Mrs. Montez started the car and they were off towards New Mexico. Gabriella reached out and grabbed her yearbook, bringing it close to her chest. She lowered her chin onto her edge of the book and began to cry silently, remembering his precious - and very unexpected - entry into her yearbook.

_How does you, me, and a honeymoon in Maui sound to kick-start next summer?_

He had proposed that way, claiming that he had been too nervous to ask her in person. They had planned to tell their friends in person, though, the next time that they saw them. Who would've thought that this would have to be the way that they would all meet up again?

_Troy, I miss you so much!_ Gabriella thought. _W__hy did you have to get in that car accident? You promised that we'd all be in this together! And now you're gone..._

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	3. Ryan

Ryan Evans didn't know what to do with the aching silence that filled his car. He just knew that he didn't like it. If it had been Sharpay riding with him to Troy's funeral - instead of Kelsi - her wailing would have been his constant companion. Instead he had Kelsi's silence, save for the occasional sniffle that meant that she was, in fact, crying.

"Are you okay?" Ryan asked, caring yet awkward at the same time.

His sister crying hysterically was one thing, but Kelsi's soft grieving while trying to keep it together was something different entirely. Though they had bonded and contrived over a joint love of music and the stage, he wasn't sure what to do with her now.

Kelsi nodded rapidly, self-consciously wiping away her tears. Apparently she had forgotten that he was with her. Or maybe she had just let herself dwell that much on her grief, Ryan reasoned.

"Okay." Ryan let her get away with her obvious lie and forced his thoughts away from the girl at his side.

A minute later, he was surprised when Kelsi's tears became louder and harder, and she choked out, "No."

Ryan looked at her in concern and pulled the car over as the composer riding in the shotgun seat of his car burst out, "No! I am not okay! Troy - one of our best friends, one of the greatest guys on the planet - is dead! And all because some other guy had one too many beers! So, no, I am most definitely not okay!"

Ryan blinked in surprise at her outburst and felt tears forming in the corners of his eyes. He hesitated for only a second before leaning across the console and gently squeezing her clenched hands. Kelsi bit her lip and unclenched her hands, squeezing in return.

"I know." Ryan said gently.

That started another wave of tears from the quiet brunette. Not letting himself think about it too much, Ryan unbuckled, and then unbuckled Kelsi before pulling the poor girl onto his lap. She buried her head in his shoulder and just started sobbing.

"Shhhhh." Ryan whispered near her ear. "I know it hurts, I know."

All at once, Troy's rather corny entry in Ryan's yearbook flashed across his mind. _Set free of his master, a poodle can get what he wants as easily as a rottweiler can._ Had Troy guessed what Ryan had wanted, or more specifically _who_ Ryan had wanted? If so - if this was what it took to get him the girl - Troy had committed some wing-man act. Even so - even though he was finally holding the girl of his dreams - under the circumstances, he couldn't even enjoy it.

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	4. Kelsi

Kelsi buried her head in Ryan's shoulder and gathered handfuls of his black t-shirt into her fists. She didn't even think of the fact that she was finally in Ryan's arms. She didn't think of her tears soaking through his shirt. She just thought about the fact that she missed her friend.

Troy had been the first person at East High to take notice of her, to be her friend, to boost her confidence. Those were things that not even Mrs. Darbus had thought to do. But Troy had. Even in his entry in her yearbook, he had done it.

_The world is your court, so make me proud, Playmaker! I know you can get whatever you dream for._

Kelsi had thought that she wanted only two things in life, and two wasn't that much, right? She had wanted to go to Juilliard and she had wanted to be in a relationship with Ryan. And now that she was getting at least Juilliard, she couldn't bring herself to care. Because all of a sudden, she wanted just one more thing, one more thing that she knew no amount of wishing or working could possibly get her. She wanted Troy alive again.

Kelsi sniffed a couple of times, pulling away from Ryan. "Thanks." she whispered, taking the tissue that he offered her.

He smiled at her a little. "Pathetic that it took us this long, and had to happen this way, huh?" he offered.

"What?" Kelsi asked in confusion. "Took us this long to do what?"

"For me to admit to you that I love you."

Kelsi's eyes widened and she whispered, "You do?"

Ryan nodded, as a smile made it's way across his features. "I do."

"I love you too." Kelsi admitted.

When the two kissed for the first time just then, it was better than Kelsi had dreamed that it would be.

When they pulled away, she remarked, "Troy was right. I have officially gotten everything that I've dreamed for."

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	5. Martha

Martha Cox bit her lip as a different song began to filter through the radio while she drove to the funeral. This was one of the songs that she and Troy had been dancing to on the day that he had referenced in her yearbook.

_Best wishes to the friend who helped me with my trig homework and my two-step. You've got the best of both worlds!_

That evening with Troy was her favorite memory of him. When not even Gabriella and Taylor had been able to get the basketball boy to understand his trigonometry homework, they had shipped him to her for a fresh perspective on the work.

Martha had almost immediately figured out that it wasn't really the trig that was bothering Troy, but something else that was sidetracking his concentration. When she had asked him about it, he had admitted to being nervous about the "Twinkle Towne" callbacks.

_"Even Sharpay is tearing me down about it." Troy despaired._

_Martha didn't know Troy very well at that point, but, because everyone knew Sharpay, she rolled her eyes anyway as they sat across from each other in the Cox's living room. "Sharpay tearing someone down because of something that she doesn't like? Shocking."_

_"Yeah, but she likes me!" Troy shuddered and Martha smirked as he added, "Really likes me."_

_"Yes, but, until now, you haven't gotten in her way. Now you're just in the line of fire for her fury."_

_"I just don't know if it counts when she's right." Troy admitted darkly._

_Martha raised an eyebrow. "Right about what?"_

_"I overheard her say something to Ryan yesterday about me not even being able to do a two-step. I don't even know what a two-step _is_!"_

_Martha's eyebrows drew together as she looked at the scene in front of her. The resident king of East High was feeling apart right before her eyes. Something had to be done, if for no other reason than Troy wouldn't be concentrating on trig until he'd figured out "Twinkle Towne."_

_"Alright," Martha said slowly, getting up from the couch. "Well, tonight I am your tutor, so I'll teach you."_

_Troy watched in confusion as she rearranged the furniture and put a CD into the CD player. After a moment, the instrumental music started and Martha stood in the middle of the room, expectantly watching Troy, who was just sitting on the couch, returning her stare apprehensively._

_"Come on!" Martha demanded cheerfully. "The two-step is, like, the easiest thing ever."_

_"I don't know…" Troy said uncomfortably._

_"Oh, come on! It's not like I'm trying to make a pass at you or anything. I don't want Gabriella to kill me. This is just me – the teacher – teaching you – the student – something that you apparently need to know."_

_Troy sighed with resignation and propelled himself up off of the blue couch. Martha grinned victoriously before placing her classmate's hands on her shoulder and waist and showing him the way to move to the music._

Despite herself, Martha grinned a little as she pulled into the funeral home parking lot. They'd had fun that evening, once Troy had loosened up, at least. Believe it or not, they had gotten studying done for trig; Troy had even made a B on the next test. And they had both gotten an unexpected – and far too short – friendship out of it.

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**This is a little longer than 500 words, I'm afraid. ****Please review and make my day! No need to be stingy with reviews, they're my fuel! Thanks!:)**


	6. Taylor

When Taylor stepped into the funeral home, she made a bee-line straight for Gabriella. The Stanford freshman was sitting at the front of the room near the open casket, sobbing like she'd lost her best friend. Then again, she had.

When Gabriella saw Taylor, she stood and met her in the middle, falling into her friend's embrace.

"Oh, Gabi," Taylor spoke near her ear. "I'm so sorry that this happened to you. I can't imagine…"

Blinking back her own tears, Taylor just stood with Gabriella in the middle of the room and let her sob. After a minute of standing this way, Taylor repositioned herself so that she could lead Gabriella back to a seat; she put one hand around her waist, and took Gabriella's left hand in the other. When they sat down side by side, Taylor kept holding Gabriella's hand, running her thumb across it.

And then Taylor's thumb caught on a diamond ring. She looked down, eyes widening as she realized what she was looking at.

"Gabi?" Taylor whispered.

Gabriella began to sob harder. "He proposed the day before we left for California."

Taylor took a deep breath. "Oh, Gabriella… What can I do?"

Gabriella shook her head, fighting for the ability to speak past her tears. "There's nothing that anyone can do. He's just gone. The most unforgettable person in my life is just… gone."

_Unforgettable._ Taylor's mind flashed to Troy's entry in her yearbook. _Don't forget to remember us little people when you get to the Whitehouse, Future President McKessie!_

If Troy had actually been worried about her forgetting him, or any of the Wildcats, he had done so without reason. No one – least of all Taylor's best friend – was ever going to forget Troy Bolton.

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	7. Chad

Chad's dark gaze swept the roomful of people who were there to say a last goodbye to a young man who had died far too young. He saw Taylor and Gabriella sitting together at the front of the room, Jason, Martha, Ryan, and Kelsi clustered together talking. Zeke and Tiara were huddled around a sobbing Sharpay, and Jimmy and Danny were hanging out together in a remote corner, looking very uncomfortable.

And Troy – the closest thing that they had to Troy, anyway – was right there at the front of it all. But what made Troy, Troy, Chad realized, was actually gone. Chad didn't know where he had gone exactly, but he had an inkling.

Troy had written in his yearbook _Brothers may be thousands of miles apart, but they're still brothers. _His friend had meant it as a spoof off of what he had said at Lava Springs about their fight, and he had been right. Chad wondered though, was heaven still close enough to count? He thought so.

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	8. Zeke

Zeke hated this. He hated it with a passion. Funerals, bereavement, grief. He functioned much better when things were happy, or at least had a chance of getting that way. But what chance was there of that when death was in the way?

Sharpay was still clinging to him, sobbing like she had been Troy's fiancée instead of Gabriella and Tiara was still – after having had a sudden burst of goodwill towards Sharpay – holding her hand and trying to comfort her. Geez, where was Ryan when you needed him? Or better yet, maybe Sharpay could just faint away for a few minutes.

Don't get him wrong, he loved Sharpay, but he needed time to breathe right now. After another minute of Sharpay soaking his suit, he convinced himself to hand her off to Tiara and go for a walk around the funeral home.

Once outside, he took a deep breath of the warm air and tried to clear his mind of his emotional girlfriend. Instead his thoughts turned to Troy's entry into Zeke's yearbook, insignificant as it was.

_If you need a taste-tester, I'm still your guy._

But today it struck him in a different way. Troy had anticipated things continuing on just as they always had, if the yearbook entry was any indication. But things had changed so much, so quickly. In just the split second that it had taken for an eighteen-wheeler to plow into Troy's truck, everything had changed.

And Zeke hated it.

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	9. Sharpay

_One year later_

It was odd, the moments when you thought of people, Sharpay reflected as she took a bow on the stage in Broadway. But then again, maybe it wasn't so odd; after all Gabriella was currently sitting in the front row. Just like Troy had wanted, at least according to his entry in her yearbook.

_Make sure you get Gabi and me front row seats to your first Broadway show, superstar!_

Sharpay had done that – to the best of her ability, anyway. She had mailed Gabriella two tickets to the show and decided not to dwell on the fact that Troy would not – could not – be attending.

Even a year after his death, Sharpay would sometimes catch herself thinking of him, of his ambitions – goals that he hadn't had nearly enough time to reach. But Sharpay realized, as she stood on the edge of a stage in Broadway, that she had accomplished her own dreams. Maybe, in some warped way, that would make a difference. As she caught the eye of Gabriella, who was sitting alone in the crowd, she sincerely hoped so.

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**Terribly short, I know. ****Please review and make my day! No need to be stingy with reviews, they're my fuel! Thanks!:)**


	10. Jason

_Two years later_

_Call me up anytime, especially if you have a role for me in one of your soon-to-be-blockbuster movies._

The first time that Jason had seen what Troy had written in his yearbook – it had been over three years ago now – he had rolled his eyes. Now the only thing that he had to role his eyes at was the paparazzo's unquenchable desire for more Jason Cross photos, more Jason Cross quotes, more Jason Cross, period.

No, it hadn't been easy to get to where he was now. Jason had worked hard and – with a stroke or two of good luck – managed to meet some of the right people. Now he was standing on a red carpet in New York City for the first time with none other than his high school sweetheart, Martha Cox, no his arm.

No, it hadn't been an easy climb to her to where he was, but it had been a worthwhile one. He hoped that in meeting Troy's expectations for him he had made his fellow Wildcat proud.

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	11. Tiara

Tiara Gold didn't like many people, and she cared to remember even fewer of them, but for some reason Troy Bolton, who had been nothing more than a brief acquaintance, still came to mind every once in awhile, even though enough time had elapsed that Tiara was now a senior. Maybe she remembered Troy because – in his own way – he hadn't been afraid to tell her what he thought of her. To tell her the truth, subtly as he did it.

He had written in her yearbook _All hail the new reigning queen of drama (club, of course)._

Tiara hadn't known what to do with that entry. She still didn't, really. Though, as she stomped off of the drama club stage to find the _stupid _lighting guy, she didn't bother hiding her smirk as she realized one thing: she had easily managed to live up to Troy's apparent expectations for her.

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**Terribly short, I know. ****Please review and make my day! No need to be stingy with reviews, they're my fuel! Thanks!:)**


	12. Danny

Troy Bolton had told Danny, per Danny's yearbook, _There's only two words that you need to remember to get through high school – "WHAT TEAM?!" _

At first, Danny had been disappointed with Troy's entry, but at the beginning of his senior year he had begun to notice something that changed his attitude towards it. Those two words often became more than just words. They were a reminder, they were a point to rally around, they were an adrenaline rush, and they were a legacy and a connector. They connected the teammates to each other, to the coach, to the game, and sometimes even to the fans that filled the bleachers.

As for being a legacy, they were a legacy that Danny had begun to consider especially his, even among the other Wildcats. Those two words were something special that he shared with men like Chad Danforth.

And Troy had been right – that was all that he needed to remember.

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	13. Jimmy

So this is what it had felt like for Troy and his guys. Sixteen minutes left on the clock. Sixteen minutes left to prove that they were the best. Sixteen minutes left to wear the East High jersey. Sixteen minutes left to be a Wildcat.

Jimmy loved it.

He had been naively flattered when at the end of his freshman year, his idol, Troy Bolton, had written in his yearbook _Don't break all of my records all at once, Champ! _It was while he was in that same naïve state that Jimmy had decided that even if he couldn't break Troy's records all at once, he would at least try to break them all.

However, in the year following Troy's death, Jimmy had come to understand that it didn't what he did, or if he got the highest score. There would never be another Troy Bolton. Not just because of his basketball skills – although he'd had plenty of those – but because Troy had been special, the sort of special that was rare and only came around once in a blue moon. Troy hadn't been afraid to break free of what was considered the acceptable – if sometimes confining – social norm and he had encouraged others to do the same. He had been a friend to everyone, it hadn't mattered who you were.

Now that Jimmy had gotten a few years older and matured a little, he had come to the decision that _those _were the things in Troy Bolton that he wanted for his own. As he scored the winning basket in the final game, though, Jimmy decided that the basketball prowess wasn't all that bad either.

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**Please review and make my day! This marks the end of this story, and I will now be trying to focus on my Criminal Minds/iCarly crossover, "When Things Happen." Feel free to check it out! Thanks for all of your support guys, especially ElenaBolton19 and Ceciliaa93.:)**


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